SHIRLEY -- Walking home from her boyfriend's house, Christine Spain collapsed on the railroad tracks.

It was around midnight last Wednesday, and the 56-year-old Shirley woman lay there unconscious after apparently having too much to drink.

In the distance came the rumbling. A freight train.

That's when Lilly, Spain's pit bull, prevented a tragedy. The 8-year-old dog pulled Spain away from the tracks moments before the train went by. Lilly was unable to clear herself from the tracks, however, and was struck, suffering severe injuries.

All of the muscle and skin were torn from Lilly's right paw. Her right front leg was amputated, and her pelvis was fractured in multiple places.

"I don't know if she collapsed or what happened, but she passed out," said Rob Halpin, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "The engineer, the only witness, told police he saw a dog frantically pulling at a woman as he drew closer. He did everything he could. He heard a thump and thought he hit both."

The engineer immediately hit the brakes and got off the train. He found Spain unhurt.

"The dog's head was on her chest," Halpin said. "The woman was totally unharmed."

Spain, who was arrested at the scene and was arraigned in Ayer District Court on May 3 on charges of obstruction, walking/riding on a railroad track and animal cruelty, is a recovering alcoholic.

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Her son, Boston police Officer David Lanteigne, got her the dog as a means of therapy.

"I truly believe things happen for a reason," Lanteigne said Tuesday. "We found Lilly to save her life, and she returned the favor. She almost died here."

Lilly was rushed to an animal hospital in Acton and then transported to Angell Animal Medical Clinic in Boston, where she underwent two surgeries over the weekend.

"Lilly's doing a lot better than she was almost a week ago," Lanteigne said. "She's on her road to recovery now. It'll be quite a long ways before she's back up to speed,"

He said Lilly and Spain will stay with him in Boston once Lilly is released from the animal hospital.

"My mom's not doing so well, and she's hanging in there," Lanteigne said. "She's been with me and helping out with this, getting things ready at home. She's emotionally, severely scarred from this. She's hanging on. If it wasn't for her dog, I don't think my mom would be here today. This dog has kept her sober."

He wasn't surprised when he heard that Lilly had come to his mother's aid when she needed it.

"This dog is truly a special dog," he said. "She's been amazing since day one. My mother has given anything and everything to this dog. For the past 3 1/2 years since she's had this dog, it's her entire life. She's been eating, sleeping and breathing this dog. The dog is everything to her. She brings her on five or six long walks a day. She spends half an hour preparing all of her meals."

Lanteigne said his mother is doing the best she can in light of the situation.

"It's pretty tough," he said. "She still has a long road to recovery. Lilly is her therapy dog. She keeps her thinking well. Every now and then, things happen. We've had some real tough, bad news in our family the past week and a half, and I think it impacted my mom tremendously. I think it caused her to have a relapse."

He said that while caring for Lilly, Spain has controlled her drinking.

"Thankfully, Lilly was there with her to save her," he added. "This has reduced her drinking, at least if not more than 90 percent. Every now and then, she has her battle with alcoholism and depression and anxiety. She has a lot of things she needs to get fixed."

Lanteigne said he hopes Lilly's heroism will change people's minds about pit bulls.

"I just want it to raise awareness on how special these dogs truly are. They are the most affectionate, loving, caring dogs that you'll ever meet."

Spain has been released on her own personal recognizance and ordered not to drink any alcohol and to submit to random alcohol tests.

She's due back in court June 6.

Lilly's medical care will likely cost thousands of dollars. A fund has been established to help her. Donations can be made at www.mspca.org/helplilly.

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